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Case Study - McAdams
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Variable Size Press Provides Flexibility
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Driving up to the McAdams
Graphics facility in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, one is
immediately reminded of that state’s greatest legacy to modern
architecture:
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Dave McAdams, press room manager: “Make-ready and
running waste are minimal, and our production numbers on the RDP press
are just fantastic. It’s the most performing press
on the floor.”
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Frank Lloyd Wright, who was born, and lived his early adult years
nearby. It was no accident that the McAdams Graphics facility was inspired
by the openness and simple elegance of the Arts and Crafts Movement.
Wright believed that architecture should create a natural link between
the individual and his environment, what he coined as “organic
architecture”, a reflection of individual client needs. This
philosophy permeates everything at McAdams Graphics, from the architecture
of their work environment, the expertise and helpfulness of the staff, to
the quality of their end-product, because McAdams Graphics believes that
“when your family name is on the door, taking care of all the details
is important”.
Founded in 1984, McAdams Graphics serves the North American magazine
publishing industry. Their web press operation, which runs 24 hours a day,
consists of two Heidelberg web presses, a four-color Didde 860, a six-color
Sanden Quantum, and their latest acquisition, an eight-color RDP Marathon SR-200 press.
“Our business has been growing steadily, and we reached the point
where we had to relieve the overload on our in-line presses,” says
Dave McAdams, press room manager. “Our goal was to bring in a new,
variable size, heat-set press that was robust enough to deliver more speed
without creating fit and registration problems, minimize set-up and waste,
be user-friendly, and provide flexibility and expandability for future
growth,” adds McAdams.
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The
RDP SR•200 variable size press consists of eight offset print
units, with Maraflo™ four form roller commercial inker and ink key
control, a web width of 20.5 inches, with a cylinder range of 14 to 28
inches, and operates at a maximum speed of 1200 fpm.
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An exhaustive search narrowed the choice to two manufacturers:
Heidelberg, whose name is often associated with the origins of the printing
press itself, and RDP Marathon, an innovative Montreal-based company, whose
name stands for reliability, durability and precision. Heidelberg made the
short list because of their reputation and the success McAdams already had
with two of their presses. RDP Marathon’s performance specifications
also matched or exceeded what McAdams Graphics were looking for, included
variable size capability, and offered better value.
“What also differentiates RDP from every other manufacturer we
evaluated is that RDP is a web press engineering company that designs
presses, manages the actual parts fabrication from an approved list of
specialist and ISO-compliant suppliers, then integrates and assembles the
presses to rigorous and exacting standards,” says McAdams. “ We
were impressed with this approach, because RDP can keep their focus on the
design, press manufacturing, and quality, ensuring an unbiased scrutiny of
the components– because if a component is inferior, it is simply
rejected,” adds McAdams. McAdams Graphics signed the contract with
RDP in September 2000, took delivery in late February 2001, and the press
was officially turned over to them in April 2001.
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The
RDP Smart•Set 2000™
press control system provides control of all press functions on touch
screen graphic displays located at both the main console and individual
print units.
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The specifications for the RDP
SR-200 variable size press consist of: eight offset print
units, with Maraflo™
four form roller commercial inker and ink key control, a web width of 20.5 inches,
with a cylinder range of 14 to 28 inches, and operating at a maximum speed
of 1200 fpm. The press is equipped with four sets of turn bars –
allowing to vary the number of colors on the face and back of the substrate
– a heat set drying system, chill stand, catalytic incinerator, and a
high pile sheeter. The RDP
Smart*Set 2000™ press control system provides control
of all press functions on touch screen graphic displays located at both the
main console and individual print units, and integrates with management
software, including CIP3 digital workflow, provides job storage and
retrieval, and modem interface for remote systems diagnostics.
McAdams assigned a 2-man crew on the RDP press, which is used five days
a week, 24 hours a day. “Make-ready and running waste are minimal,
and our production numbers on the RDP press are just fantastic. It’s
the most performing press on the floor,” says McAdams. “RDP
holds tighter register than our other presses. If we shut down the
automatic register control systems on the presses, there is registration
movement on the other presses, but not on the RDP,” says McAdams.
According to McAdams, the RDP press is also used for training: “We
can take inexperienced operators, place them on the RDP press, and make
them better operators. It’s more forgiving, and more user-friendly.
The crews take pride in the RDP press, keep it clean, and have confidence
in it.” Because of their growing confidence, McAdams are migrating
more jobs onto that press: “ The RDP press is always on schedule, and
because of its quick set-up, we have gained about one third more
productivity, and are also putting more short runs on it,” adds
McAdams.
“By far, the RDP press is the only press we put on our floor that
lived up to the company’s advertised expectations, and I would
recommend that anyone looking to buy a press visit RDP’s
operation,” says McAdams. “When we make the call to bring
another variable size press in, it will definitely be an RDP,”
concludes McAdams.
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